How Do Tramadol And Excedrin Treat Migraines?
Migraines have become a concerning issue all around the world today, and the demand for a good medication for the pain. Excedrin is being used to treat migraines for a long time now. Doctors can recommend a mixture of Tramadol and Excedrin when migraines become serious. Patients have asked why this combination is given and used for migraine. Is it only with Excedrin, or can Tramadol take care of the issue on its own? One can even doubt if together they are even safe to consume or not. We will find out all the answers and understand the two drugs in this blog.
Tramadol and Excedrin: How Does This Combination Help Migraines?
What is Tramadol?
Tramadol is an opioid painkiller used for chronic pain relief. It is found in many forms, such as tablets, capsules, solutions, or even injections. The other brand names of Tramadol are Qdolo, Conzip, Ultram, Ultram ER, and Ultracet. You cannot buy this medication on your own, as Tramadol is a Schedule IV controlled substance, a medicine that can be bought only after being prescribed by a doctor. This is because it has a high potential for abuse and addiction. It works by binding to mu-opioid receptors in our nervous system. This action relaxes the body by releasing dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain, stopping pain signals from entering the brain.
What is Excedrin?
Excredin is a combination of three ingredients: Acetaminophen, Aspirin, and Caffeine. It is used for dealing with headaches and migraines and is found as OTC tablets, and it is sold in four types: Excedrin Migraine, Excedrin Extra Strength, Excedrin Tension Headache, and Excedrin PM Headache. All of them are available in different compositions to serve different kinds of headaches effectively. The three ingredients in Excedrin work together to provide the pain relief possible. Acetaminophen works on our nervous system by blocking the pain signals, Aspirin inhibits prostaglandins to stop inflammation, and Caffeine brings back the widened blood vessels in the brain back to its shape.
Benefits of Tramadol and Excedrin
Both drugs have their own benefits for their use, and that makes Excedrin and Tramadol two excellent drugs for pain relief. Tramadol has proved to be very effective in many kinds of pain, such as surgical pain, chronic pain, like musculoskeletal pain, injury pain, and neuropathic pain. Besides these, it has lower side effects than other opiods which makes it safer to use. Excedrin has an advantage that very few medications have, and that is its triple mechanism, which provides powerful relief from headaches. The best part is that each variety of this drug targets all types of pain in the head, which makes all the versions of Excedrin very effective.
Can You take Excedrin and Tramadol together?
Tramadol and Excedrin are administered together by doctors in many cases for much more effective pain relief. Acetaminophen, found in Excedrin, onsets quickly, but mixing with Tramadol sustains its effects. Both drugs together can target numerous areas of pain, creating a synergistic effect. But make sure you use Tramadol and not the other brands with Excedrin, like Ultracet. It has Tramadol mixed with Acetaminophen, and interaction can take place between the same ingredients, leading to liver issues. Doctors know that both drugs together can cause some side effects, but using them under their monitoring will not make Excedrin and Tramadol unsafe.
Are Tramadol and Excedrin Safe?
Excedrin and Tramadol are safe together only when the doctor administers the two drugs in correct portions. Yes, there are no interactions between the two drugs, but both Tramadol and Excedrin have some dangers individually. Tramadol, being a strong opioid, has a good number of repercussions. Dependency on this drug will make one tolerant to its effects, which leads to overdose. Serotonin syndrome stands out as the most dangerous outcome of Tramadol overdose. Excedrin itself is not that harmful, but it has Acetaminophen, which acts like a depressant and can be overdosed easily. Consuming this ingredient too much will lead to liver failure.
Side Effects of Tramadol and Excedrin
Tramadol and Excedrin have many side effects of their own that are the result of either their individual overdose or combined. They might not have direct interactions, but both have their own effects on our bodies. Let us take a look at these side effects.
Tramadol Side Effects
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Slowed or Shallow breathing
- Swelling
- Seizures
- Serotonin Syndrome
Excedrin Side Effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bad stomach
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Black Stool
- Dark Urine
- Swelling of limbs
- Allergic reactions
- Fainting
- Hearing loss
Drug Interactions of Tramadol and Excedrin
There are a lot of Tramadol Excedrin interactions with other drugs, which one should know to avoid any aftereffects. Here are some drugs that interact with the two painkillers.
Tramadol Interactions
Excedrin Interactions
- Aspirin
- Adderall
- Naproxen
- Buproprion
- Ibuprofen
- Tylenol
- Lisinopril
- Cannabidiol
- Cocaine
- Ethanol
Alternatives for Migraines
If the Tramadol and Excedrin combination does not work for patients with migraine, which is very unlikely, some alternatives can help in such cases. There are a lot of medications for migraines, which we must know.
- Triptans like Sumatriptan, Eletriptan, and Rizatriptan are the first recommendations for moderate migraines. They work by narrowing blood vessels to stop pain signals
- A combination of Sumatriptan and Naproxen can also be counted.
- Gepants like Zavegepant, Ubrogepant, and Rimezepant are new in the market, available as nasal sprays that help migraines by stopping calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) that causes headaches.
- Lasmitidan can be used by heart patients as it does not constrict blood vessels to target serotonin receptors.
- At last, natural remedies like Magnesium and medications rich in Vitamin B2 can help in long-term relief from migraines.
Conclusion
Migraines are some of the most irritating disorders one can go through, and Excedrin is the perfect answer to this problem. When mixed with Tramadol, it becomes even more effective in fighting this issue. Sometimes taking these two painkillers together can result in some unwanted aftereffects, but if used properly under medical supervision, migraines and headaches will become afterthoughts.